


In Canis Confiderus

by Sunshinegrimes



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Diego Hargreeves-centric, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, No Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy), One Big Happy Family, Post series - Apocalypse Averted, Protective Siblings, Puppies, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sibling Bonding, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, so many puppies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 18:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18784066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshinegrimes/pseuds/Sunshinegrimes
Summary: "Inside were a dozen puppies, a mishmash of markings and definitely not pedigree. Their ears were floppy, their eyelids heavy, and their tails were wagging a mile a minute...There was a blanket at the bottom of the box, but it was a thin, hardly useful thing, and as Diego tickled his fingers around their tiny, wriggling bodies, he resolved himself of three things.1. He wasn’t leaving without these puppies.2. He needed to check them in to a vet.And 3. He would find a home for all of them."----*SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE FIRST SEASON*





	In Canis Confiderus

**Author's Note:**

> Phew! :') This is my first major contribution to TUA fandom. I love this show so much, I'm off to binge watch it again right now ;; I adore celebrity interviews with puppies, and I wish they would interview TUA cast with them one day. It would be a dream come true, especially David Castañeda! 
> 
> \- A quick PSA to say that I have very limited experience handling 6 week old puppies! I got most of my information from puppy websites, and I don't advise that anyone take what is written here as gospel :D I merely wrote this for feels, not to be a source of fact!
> 
> \-- This story is also set after the events of Season 1, wherein certain bad choices weren't made, the apocalypse didn't happen, and the Hargreeves siblings are a happy, yet still mildly dysfunctional, family. I don't make the rules people ;; I just want those kids to be happy.

Diego wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

He had found the puppies, twelve of them, in a cardboard box by the river. He had heard their desperate, hungry cries, and the breeze coming off of the water was bitterly cold, even through the layers he was wearing. He had been waiting, sat on the hood of his car, and staring out at the vista of traffic, buildings and people, listening out for any disturbances on the radio. He was sipping some coffee, and a half-finished sandwich in greaseproof paper rested against his thigh, from his stakeout deli of choice. He liked Brody’s, they always gave him an extra slice of Gruyère for helping out the neighbourhood.

That’s when he noticed a whine from further down the river, a pitiful sound that had made him set down his coffee. Diego slid off the hood of the car, and drew one of his knives in anticipation. The sound was definitely from an animal, but it was always good to be prepared for danger. If someone was hurting the creature, he would take pleasure in using the blade, as they deserved.

As he approached the source of the cry, Diego could hear more noises: a shuffling, scratching noise, followed by another whine. The noises tugged at his heartstrings, and when he rounded the corner of an outbuilding and saw a cardboard box, his chest swelled with emotion. He put away the knife, and took out his torch instead, crouching down and pulling back the lid.

Inside were a dozen puppies, a mishmash of markings and definitely not pedigree. Their ears were floppy, their eyelids heavy, and their tails were wagging a mile a minute. They were each about the size of his foot, and all of them looked up at him with shining, needy eyes. One of them stood on its hind legs, and pawed at the inside of the box as it tried to sniff his gloved fingers. Diego pressed his hand inside, and let them crowd around his warm fingers, noticing how cold their tiny bodies were. There was a blanket at the bottom of the box, but it was a thin, hardly useful thing, and as Diego tickled his fingers around their tiny, wriggling bodies, he resolved himself of three things.

1\. He wasn’t leaving without these puppies.  
2\. He needed to check them in to a vet.  
And 3. He would find a home for all of them.

Diego stood from the dark corner, with the box hefted in both hands. He made his way back to his car on light, but hurried footsteps, not wanting to jostle them too much. The contents of the box concerned Diego, he was no dog expert. When they were all six years old, Reginald had dismissed the children’s request for a puppy. He had made some cold comment about responsibility, and that was that. Since then, Diego had idly considered the concept of owning a dog, or a cat to keep him company. Unfortunately, Diego knew his job, and dangerous life, made him a bad fit for keeping a pet. He worked solo, on too many late shifts, and was always in and out of custody. Diego would have to give up a lot of his time to care for something as precious as a pet. They would depend on him for their every need, and it wouldn’t be fair to expect the pet to fit around his life, just because he wanted one.

As he gingerly placed the box on his passenger seat, and wound the seatbelt around it, Diego could hear the puppies fussing inside. Their tiny claws scratched, and thumped on their cardboard prison, and the box twitched in place. Diego couldn’t resist one, tiny peek inside, and his heart once again crumbled at the contents. It was a damned lucky thing that he had chosen this stretch of the pier, instead of taking a different post. He didn’t want to consider the alternative.

After retrieving his food, coffee and radio from the hood, Diego fired up the engine. He turned the knobs on the dash, until there was some fresh air circulating the car. The pups would warm up, now they were out of the elements, but he didn’t want them to overheat either. Driving even more carefully than he had when passing his test, Diego pulled away from the river, in the direction of the out-of-hours vets he knew were a few blocks away. The bills would be extortionate: Twelve puppies, probably in need of worming, vaccinating, and god knows what else, but Diego didn’t care. Whatever they needed, he would make sure they got it.

Eudora used to have a dog, a sweet rescue greyhound called Molly, who gave her no end of stress when she swallowed one of Diego’s socks. It was funny, at first, as Diego’s inexperienced mind had never envisioned something as innocuous as a sock could be a hazard. Seeing Eudora’s pinched expression, as she fretted about obstructions, and potential surgery, made him bite his tongue. He had beaten himself up about it for weeks, and kept his clothes all out of reach from then on, until he was no longer a welcome face at her house. That was one dog, one set of rules and responsibilities. Diego couldn’t do things by halves, could he? 

By the time he pulled up at the Academy, three hours later and with his furry charges all sleeping, Diego was in dire need of sleep. He had stressed, and paced, as the vets performed vital checks on the pups. He had asked so many questions, and ended up buying half their range of toys, a play pen, puppy food, and collars just so he felt a little more prepared. He had made six trips to the car, dumping everything in the back seats. By the time 1:00am rolled around, all of the puppies had been discharged. The vets had given him a heavy caution, that if any of them looked like they were going downhill, Diego should bring them straight back. All were in good health, and miraculously eating and drinking and passing well. He thanked the team emphatically, and had paid using the family bank account.  
Suck on that Reginald, he thought.

Now, as he smuggled his bounty into the Academy and headed for his room, Diego considered the implications of bringing twelve puppies into the house. It would need to be made puppy-friendly, and they would need to be let out frequently, yet confined to a smallish room so they didn’t over exercise their tiny joints. He had to be around to feed them, and let them out in the courtyard, and he had to keep track of the health and progress of all twelve. The responsibility made his tired mind ache, but it was out of the question to take these defenceless creatures to a shelter. He had seen these puppies, he had saved them from certain death, and they were now his responsibility. 

God knows where they would end up, or if they would get all their needs met, if he dropped them off to some nameless, faceless shelter receptionist. The thought terrified him, and it reminded him too much of the way his biological mom must have also cast him to the wind, presumably, uncaring of his fate or future. It hurt still, sometimes, to think about that blind faith she must have had in Reginald, when he turned up to buy him. He would like to imagine she was young, afraid, not ready or financially capable of taking on a new-born. The scenario eased the old ache in his chest, the fear of rejection that lingered in his every cutting remark or stoic decision. In his case, he had options, he was reasonably capable, and could definitely pay for whatever these pups needed. Diego would be a better parent, he was sure of it.

\---

The next morning, when Diego awoke to the whines of a dozen puppies, he raised his head from the floor and groaned. 

He had tried to set up his room last night, lifting every cable, everything dangerous that was at puppy height, and filled up a large dish of water in preparation. He had grabbed several large towels, and spread them over his floor, before assembling the sturdy, square dog pen and placing it on top. It took up most of his bedroom floor, and he had to walk over and through it to get to the door, but he didn’t want the puppies to be in that cardboard box for a moment longer. He carefully lifted them out, one by one, and placed tiny collars on each of them in turn. The collars were all different colours, and they would help identify which pup was which. The vets had said they were some kind of beagle mix, and only around six weeks, which meant he was going to need to think bigger, in the long run. This setup would do for now, he thought, until he figured that part out.

The puppy pen had worked, for all of five minutes, but as he laid down the large, comfortable dog bed he had gotten them, they had insisted on crowding around his legs instead. They had climbed into his lap, and licked at his fingers, more interested in what they could chew on him, as opposed to settling down.

When Diego had finally peeled himself away, after one final kiss to each of them, his new, tiny family had cried up a storm in the pen. He had laid in bed on his side, facing the pups, and had felt an immeasurable amount of guilt at leaving them on the floor. Even if they were fed, warm, and surrounded by expensive comforts, it was clear what they were missing was a comforting touch. 

Which was exactly how, ten minutes into their whining, Diego had been guilted into bringing his pillow and blanket onto the floor. As soon as he had settled on his side, the pups had clustered around him, mostly against the warmth of his tummy. They had piled up, yawning and letting out the softest of grumbles. Diego had stroked their tiny bodies, and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the inevitable back ache he would feel in the morning. It was bad practice, and he was probably setting himself up for a world of trouble later, but something in their little sweet faces had tugged at that neglected hole in his heart. Growing up, he was often teased by the others for being a Mama’s boy, but screw them. Diego wasn’t about to let any of these guys go without love or attention. Already, he would kill for them. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them.

So when they woke him, whining and in need of their breakfast, Diego sat up as carefully as he could and tried to spot where he had put their puppy food. No sooner had he spotted the bag, then he heard his bedroom door open. Whipping his head around, Diego’s eyes widened as he spotted Allison, stood in the entrance of his room. 

“Are those puppies?” Allison wasn’t blind, she could see clear as day what Diego was currently being mobbed by. Still, she couldn’t help but feel incredulous at the sight. She had seen Diego only yesterday, and he definitely wasn’t in possession of any critters. “Where did you get them?” 

“I found them.” Diego explained, lifting up one of the pups and holding it against his chest. It squirmed in his hands, and nibbled and licked at his chin. The sensation made Diego smile, and he pressed a kiss to their head, inhaling that sweet puppy smell that clung to its fur. “They were in a cardboard box, someone just left them to die out by the river.” 

“Oh my god. That’s horrible, who could do such a thing?” Allison stepped into the room, and she paused by the edge of the pen. “May I?” 

“Sure, I was about to feed them, so I could use the help.” Diego waved her in, and he scooped up a second puppy that was biting at his knee. “Hey, I’m not food.” 

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full. Have you told any of the others? Mom?” Allison sat cross-legged in the pen, and the puppies bumbled over to her in an unsteady swarm. They surrounded her, jumping up and trying to get her attention, which made her smile uncontrollably. Puppy fever was infectious, apparently.

“Not yet.” Appreciating the break, Diego stood up, and climbed out of the pen to retrieve their food dish. He measured out their food carefully, and out the corner of his eye, he could see Allison playing with the puppies, cooing at their clumsy antics. 

“You won’t be able to keep them in your room for long, they’re going to find out.” 

“Find out what? Oh my God.” Luther was now stood in the doorway, and the sight of his largest brother made Diego bristle. Out of all of his siblings, Diego was the most wary of introducing the puppies to him. Luther was strong, sometimes too strong, and there was always the chance he could be heavy handed and hurt one of them. 

Allison looked over her shoulder at Luther, and gave him a reassuring smile. “Diego found some puppies last night, he says the owners threw them out in a box.” Her smile faded to something more sad, and her tone must have tugged at Luther’s heartstrings, as his disturbed expression morphed into something more protective. The puppies could smell the food by now, and were making a small racket as Diego approached with the bowl. 

“Is that true Diego?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t just leave them.” Diego put down the bowl, and the puppies immediately dashed to eat, bumping into one another and wagging their tails. “So,” he spread his arms, gesturing to the pack. “puppies.” 

“You need to tell the others.” Luther didn’t seem keen on approaching, perhaps he was wary of his own strength as well. “They need to know.” 

“I know, and I will. Just one thing at a time, okay? They’ve been through a lot.” Diego tried not to sound too gruff, but he was feeling overprotective of his tiny family. He didn’t want to overwhelm them with too many visitors, or expose them to too many new things and scare them. They all watched the puppies eat for another minute, before Allison broke the silence. 

“Do they have names?” 

“Uh…” Diego froze, looking at the puppies with a blank expression. He hadn’t gotten that far yet. Naming the puppies hadn’t been as important as getting them to a vet, and making sure they had enough to eat and drink. “No?” 

“Maybe we could help you name them. All of us.” Allison offered, looking up at Luther again who was frowning in consternation. 

“Why not just name them after their colours?” Luther suggested, reaching up and gesturing around his neck. “You put collars on them, so until we think of something better…”

“I’m not calling a dog Yellow, Luther.” Diego shook his head, and as if on cue, one of the puppies sneezed indignantly. “But…I guess if it’s just for a short time…”

“Maybe not collars, but how about names to do with colours?” Allison proposed, pointing at the one with a red collar, a little girl. “Like, this one could be Ruby.” 

“Ruby.” Diego rolled the name around his mouth, and he smiled. “Yeah, I like that. This one could be Skye.” He petted the head of another girl, who wore a dark blue collar. She had finished eating, and was drinking from the water dish, her tiny pink tongue barely making ripples on the water. 

“Ooh, I like that.” Allison nodded, and behind her, Luther crouched at the edge of the pen. 

“What about Forest? For the green boy.” Luther added hastily, and Diego had to hand it to him, it was a pretty cute name. “And Lemon, for the yellow girl.” 

“Whoa, don’t use all your creative energy at once.” Diego teased, but his humour was short lived. The puppies were beginning to pace. 

“We should take them out to use the bathroom.” Allison warned Diego, and she looked immediately to the cardboard box that Diego had transported them in. 

“Oh no, I’m not putting them back in there.” Diego frowned, and he began to strategize how best to carry them in his arms. Could he and Allison carry 12 puppies between them? Probably not. 

“Okay, so we carry them in our arms. Luther.” Allison gestured Luther closer, and Diego stiffened again. “Don’t worry, Diego. They’ll be okay.” 

Diego didn’t quite believe her, but he was rapidly running out of time and options. With great reluctance, he lifted up two of the puppies, Ruby and the unnamed pink one, and handed them to Allison. Allison turned on the spot, and placed them inside Luther’s broad arms. The puppies were so small, and Luther was so huge, that just one of his arms could hold four of the pups safely. They loaded him up with eight in total, and Allison and he took the last four between them. With one under each of his arms, Diego took the lead, and walked out of his room towards the courtyard. 

They made it just in time. No sooner had Diego lowered his own squirming bundles of fur, then the puppies took a few paces and relieved themselves. If he intended to keep them, Diego knew he would need to move them downstairs, so that the puppies had easier access to this space. At the moment, it wasn’t particularly dog friendly, but between them, he and his siblings could tidy it up. It was unfair to keep them cooped up in his room, but he had been afraid of what his siblings, particularly Luther, would think. 

They watched the puppies together, as they began to mill around the sunlit courtyard, noses to the ground and sniffing. It was an adorable sight, and as they stood, engrossed at the view, they didn’t notice Klaus walking up behind them. 

“Oh my god.” Klaus’ voice was high pitched, and adoring, and he broke into a short peal of laughter when they all jumped. “You guys got puppies, and no one thought to tell me?” 

“Klaus, hey.” Allison turned on the spot, stepping to the side so Klaus could see the pups. “Diego rescued these little guys. Come and see, they’re adorable.” 

“They are.” Klaus joined the semicircle his siblings had formed, and when he crouched down, the puppies rushed to surround him, as they had done with Allison. “Oh, look at all of you. Hey! Oh my god.” Klaus bent his head, and allowed the puppies to clamber over him and lick his face. He had an expression on his face which could only be described as pure joy, even when one of the larger puppies tried to use his ear as a chew toy. “You’re so cute, I know, I know. Oh gosh, I don’t have enough hands to pet you all. This is torture. Sweet, sweet torture.” 

Diego watched his brother play with the pups, and couldn’t help but feel proud that he had brought so much happiness into their family. Even Luther, who had previously been on edge, was knelt beside Klaus, and was petting ones that he could reach. Allison nudged his side, nodding at Luther’s gentle interactions, and Diego folded his arms, giving her an acknowledging nudge in return. 

“Um, guys? Not that I’m complaining, but why are there puppies everywhere?” Vanya had emerged from the Academy, having heard the commotion Klaus was making from indoors. She hung back, as though not sure to intrude on the situation. 

Klaus was laughing still, and he held up one of the pups so that Vanya could see them. “Diego saved them, and boy am I glad he did.” He turned the puppy towards his face, receiving a hundred kisses that made him scrunch his eyes closed. “Best, day, ever.” 

“Oh… Wow, they’re really cute, Diego.” Vanya smiled shyly, still seeming wary, but one of the puppies was wandering closer to her. It spied her shoe, and bounded closer, tugging at her laces and flopping onto its side. Unable to help herself, Vanya crouched down, and gave its pink belly a small rub. “Hey there. Do they have names?” 

“Well, we’re working on that.” Luther glanced down at Diego. 

“I put collars on them, just so I could tell them apart easier, but we’ve started giving them names to do with their colours. “So far, we’ve got Ruby.” He pointed to each puppy in turn. “Skye, Forest, and Lemon.” 

“You want help naming them?” Vanya stroked the head of the pup at her feet, Lemon, and she tried to nip Vanya’s fingers. She was far too slow, however, and rolled helplessly onto her back. Pushing back up on one leg, Lemon tried again, but once more tumbled onto her side, giving a whuff of exhaustion and giving up. Vanya’s shoes were far more interesting, and moved a lot less. 

“Sure, there’s eight left to name.” Diego shrugged, and he bent down to scoop up one with a black collar. “I’m not the best with names.” He admitted, and Vanya gave him a thoughtful expression. 

“Well, how about Bandit for that one?” 

“Bandit.” Luther nodded in agreement. “Good one Vanya.” 

“You said the dark blue one’s Skye…” Vanya scratched behind Lemon’s ears. “So how about Robin for the lighter blue?” 

“Yeah, that one’s got a really nice ring to it.” Allison watched the newly named Robin, as she sniffed around the gravel and put her front paws up on a plant pot. “That leaves orange, purple, pink, white, brown and grey.” 

“What about Flora and Violet?” Klaus, who had been laying on his back getting quite literally dog piled, sat up on his elbows. “Ben also says Amber for the orange one.” The rest of the group praised their choice of names, and Klaus gave himself a pat on the back, before smiling up at the air, presumably in Ben’s direction. 

“Shall we take these guys back indoors?” Allison suggested, now that all of the entourage had relieved themselves. “We can think up the rest of the names between us, I’m sure.” 

Together, they carried the puppies back indoors. Now that there were five of them, each of them was able to carry two, with the exception of Luther, who carried four. They took them to the living room, where Diego momentarily handed his own to Luther, so that he could bring the pen down. Once the puppies were safely playing together or napping, they sat around, watching their newest family members like mother hens. 

“Do you remember when Dad didn’t want us to have a dog?” Vanya commented quietly, where she was squeezed between Allison and Klaus. Diego looked up at her, and gave her a slow nod. 

“Yeah, he was such a rotten bastard.” 

“Diego.” Luther sighed, and he sat a little straighter in the armchair he was occupying. “You know we could never have given it a good home.” 

“He could barely take care of us.” Klaus piped up, agreeing with Luther on this rare occasion. “I mean, can you imagine if he got one? It would probably have ended up as some science experiment robo-attack dog.” 

“Good morning children.” Grace had entered the room, a bright smile on her face as she regarded her the Hargreeves siblings. She paused when she saw the puppies, and everyone in the room held their breath. Her smile didn’t falter, however, and she stepped closer to the pen, clasping her hands at the sight. “Well, aren’t these the most adorable little creatures. Where on earth have they come from?” 

“I brought them home last night, Mom.” Diego stood up, coming around to her side so that he could help her interact with them. “They were abandoned, but I brought them back here so that we could take care of them. Maybe you’d like to help?” 

“I’d be happy to help, Diego.” Grace turned to look at Diego, and beyond her charming exterior, Diego could see a familiar maternal fierceness, a desire to nurture and protect. “I’ll ensure their needs are met, whatever they may be.” 

Diego knew it was in her programmed nature, to love and to be a faithful caregiver, but he wrapped his arms around her all the same, kissing her cheek affectionately. “Thanks Mom. They’re going to need all of our help.” 

“Of course.” Grace squeezed him back, before she turned her attention back to the puppies. “They’re so young, they’ll need extra love and care.” 

“Mom, you named us, so I was thinking…do you…” Diego cleared his throat, looking up at his siblings briefly, before raising his eyebrows at Grace. “Do you maybe wanna name one? Or two? We’re naming them after colours.” 

“Oh.” Grace paused, and she crouched down by the pen, sliding her fingers between the gaps to let a few curious pups snuffle over them. She looked overjoyed at the prospect. “Which ones don’t have names?” 

“White, Brown and Grey.” 

Grace thought for a few seconds, scratching under the chin of the white collared puppy. It was a girl, and she was showering Grace’s skin with kisses wherever she could reach. Diego waited patiently, knowing that Grace was taking the responsibility as seriously as when she had named all of them. 

“Daisy.” She finally announced, and looked up at her children for confirmation. “I like that name. What do you think?” 

“Yeah, I think it really suits her.” Allison nodded, and Klaus gave Grace the OK sign with his fingers. Daisy seemed to like her name, as she sat down, and warbled a half-yawn, half howl in her direction. 

“Great choice, Mom.” Vanya said, encouragingly, and when Luther echoed the sentiment, Diego felt his chest squeeze from happiness. Everyone was taking their newest arrivals so well, but there was one last person left to meet them. 

“Has anyone seen Five?” Diego queried the others. He wasn’t worried about their oldest-youngest brother finding the puppies anymore, he just wanted Five to know they were here. He didn’t even know if Five was a dog person. He wasn’t much of an any-living-thing person, aside from his family (which Diego was sure he wouldn’t admit, even under oath). 

“No, not since yesterday.” Allison looked to the side at Klaus, who glanced behind him, before shrugging. 

“We haven’t.”

“I haven’t seen him anywhere either.” Luther cast his eyes around suspiciously, then up at the catwalk above them just to be sure. 

“Me neither. Maybe he’s busy working on something.” Vanya shook her head, knowing full well, like the rest of them, that Five could go days, weeks, even longer obsessing over a project. 

“Or out at the library.” Luther looked to Diego, who was also wracking his brains.

However, all of their predictions turned out to be completely wrong, when Five suddenly materialised in the middle of the pen, where he must have thought was an empty space. As he appeared, three things happened simultaneously. Firstly, everyone let out individual gasps. Secondly, the puppies took the sudden appearance of a stranger in their midst as the most interesting thing since their morning breakfast. Thirdly, Five noticed the small furry army barrelling towards his feet, and his expression went from a resting frown, to an alarmed, wide-eyed stare, with comical swiftness. 

“What the—”

“Speak of the devil.” Luther interjected swiftly, covering up whatever curse was about to spill from Five’s mouth. Five was frozen on the spot, as though unsure of what to do with this newest development. 

“Who brought puppies into the Academy?” Five swept his eyes around at his family, searching for answers. He didn’t sound disgusted, but instead mildly confused. 

“Diego.” Everyone answered at once, except for the man himself, who raised his hand meekly. 

“They were abandoned.” Klaus added, to give his brother context. 

“In a box.” Luther muttered, hunching his shoulders in abhorrence at the thought. 

Vanya was twisting a strand of her hair in her fingers. “By the river.” 

“Someone just chucked them out.” Allison pursed her lips, and she shook her head in dismay. 

Diego sighed, “I couldn’t leave them, Five, and I wasn’t about to take them to a shelter.” 

Five listened to them, and once they were finished, he very tentatively crouched amongst the puppies. They took to him the same way they had all of the Hargreeves siblings, with rambunctious enthusiasm. However, instead of pushing them off, Five seemed to be tolerating the puppies using him as a climbing frame. 

“What do you think?” Diego asked tentatively, watching his brother’s face closely, looking for any sign of discomfort. He couldn’t see any, which made him all the more confused. 

“I think you made the right choice, Diego.” Five scooped one of the puppies up of his own accord, and it yawned, its tiny ears flattening against its head. It was the grey collared one, one of the two not yet named. “I love dogs.” 

Now it was everyone else’s turn to stare. 

“You do?” Luther was the first to speak, and he sounded just as confused as the rest of them. 

“Yeah.” When his siblings didn’t look convinced, Five expanded. “They’re loyal, they make great companions, and serve a variety of purposes. They’re more dependable than humans, and they love unconditionally.” Five stroked the grey collared pup, and it responded by nibbling gently at his fingers. “Why wouldn’t I like them?” 

“It’s just…no offense Five, you don’t usually like anything that’s not…” Luther trailed off, and he looked to his siblings for help. 

“Boring.” Klaus finished for him, and earned a swift glare from Five. “What? You love all those equations, maths, crosswords, scientific mumbo jumbo. Face it bro, you were an old man even before you left the womb.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Five replied stiffly, but his irritation was short lived. The grey pup licked his face, and it instantly dispelled his annoyance. 

“You know Five,” Diego cleared his throat, wanting to shift the conversation back towards dogs. “There’s two left that haven’t been named yet. Do you want to do the honours?” 

“As long as he doesn’t call them something like Einstein or Tchaikovsky.” Klaus groaned, whilst Vanya, bless her heart, actually perked up. 

“Tchaikovsky is a great name.” She commented, and Allison gave her an endearing smile. 

“Here.” Diego reached in, and passed Five the brown collared one, letting him hold both of the puppies. “The two you have there aren’t named. The theme is their collar colours.” 

“How very creative.” Five sounded like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the pups. “Well then, let’s see…how about…Nimbus, and Brandy.” He raised each of them in turn, before looking around at his family, Diego especially. 

“Yeah, those are good, Five.” Diego was pleased he hadn’t gone for anything too outlandish. In all honesty, he was still reeling from the newfound knowledge that Five was a dog lover. “I guess that settles that. Now they’re all part of the family.” 

When Diego had first picked the puppies up, nothing had been certain. In the beginning, he wasn’t sure whether they would all make it, as there was every chance he had been too late in noticing their cries for help. Then, he wasn’t sure whether his family would be accepting of 12 new family members all at once. If push had come to shove, Diego would have tried his hardest to care for them at his smaller, second home, but chances are Al would have gotten frustrated at him if he had 12 puppies milling around the gym. His final option would have been to take them to a shelter, but the thought of that had made Diego balk with good reason. 

Later, as he sat in the living room with his family, the moon high in the night sky, he felt a sense of pride settle over him. The puppies were out of their pen, and each of the siblings had one, or two to cuddle. The puppies were mostly asleep, tired out from a day of playing and socialising, but the next day would see them rushed off their feet once more. Diego didn’t mind it, he loved the sight of his siblings enjoying one another’s company, and these little critters had made any past tensions between them evaporate. They were a whole family again, with 12 little younglings to care for: Ruby, Amber, Lemon, Forest, Robin, Skye, Violet, Flora, Bandit, Daisy, Brandy and Nimbus. All of them were wanted, and everyone sat in this room was committed to giving them the best fighting chance. 

There was only one thing Diego knew for certain, which was that none of the pups would go without care. They would grow up protected, and safe, and with all the love the Hargreeves family could give them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading! <3 
> 
> As I said, I adore TUA, so if you would like to share your headcannons/thoughts on this fic, or anything TUA,  
> you're welcome to do so in the comment section down below! :)
> 
> \- SunshineGrimes


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